Brittney Griner tells Russian court her rights haven't been explained

Brittney Griner, the American basketball star detained in Russia on drug charges, said in court on Wednesday that she was thrown into a baffling justice system with little help explanations of what was happening and what she could do to try to defend herself.

Ms. Griner described arriving in Russia after a grueling 13-hour flight – and shortly after recovering from Covid – and finding herself in an interrogation during which much of what was said remained untranslated. She said she was also told to sign papers without any explanation of what they were.

This was her first testimony in court regarding her arrest in a case that has taken on disproportionate importance because of the war in Ukraine. The conflict has created the deepest rift between the powers of the United States and Russia since the end of the Cold War, and the tense atmosphere at the courthouse reflects the difficult geopolitical moment.

When Ms. Griner arrived at the hearing wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, her wrists were chained in front of her and she was flanked by a coterie of Russian security guards, some of whom wore bulletproof vests, their faces covered with balaclavas. .

Russian authorities arrested Ms. Griner, 31, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, about a week before the forces of President Vladimir V Putin invades Ukraine in February. She was accused of having two canisters of hash oil vape in her luggage when she arrived at an airport near Moscow. Russia only made her detention public after the invasion began.

Ms. Griner had traveled to Russia to play with a team in Yekaterinburg, about 900 miles east of Moscow, during the W.N.B.A. out of season. She was charged with willfully smuggling vaping cartridges, in violation of Russian drug laws.

She now faces a 10-year sentence. The verdict is expected in August, according to her lawyers.

In court on Wednesday, Ms Griner testifying from a closed witness box, said she had planned to turn herself in in Yekaterinburg, but was ruled out during a baggage check at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, according to Reuters and Associated Press reporters in the courtroom. Two cartridges containing hashish oil were found in his bags.

Ms. Griner testified Wednesday that he was told to sign documents while in custody without an explanation of what they meant.

Ms. Griner also “explained to the court that she knew and respected Russian laws and never intended to break them,” said Maria Blagovolina, partner at law firm Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners who represents the basketball player. the hearing.

"Brittney confirmed that she has a medical prescription for the use of medical cannabis, and that in the United States, medical cannabis is quite a popular treatment among professional athletes," Ms. Blagovolina said. "She pointed out that she never planned to bring it to Russia and use it."

Ms. Griner also told the court that "Ekaterinburg has become her second home and she has always enjoyed her time in Russia," the lawyer said.

Prior to the testimony, Ms. Griner's legal team asked the judge to allow the basketball player to testify outside of the closed witness box due to her size. Sotnikova, refused the request but allowed Ms. Griner to testify seated, according to TASS, a Russian state news agency.

Ms. Griner pleaded guilty in the case this month, claiming she made a mistake and unwittingly transported a banned substance to Russia because she packed her bags in a hurry. In the Russian judicial system, trials proceed even when they are defeated.